


To live not just survive

by Melodicdissonance



Category: Z Nation (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, Character(s) of Color, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Feelings, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Original Character(s), Platonic Romance, Self-Sacrifice, romance maybe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 19:27:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8026057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melodicdissonance/pseuds/Melodicdissonance
Summary: Aria (OC) met her first friend in elementary school in a young boy named Tommy. The story progresses following the duo pre-Z and post-Z. What will you do when you have to choose between you and those that mean more to you than life? A story that explores what transitioning from childhood to teenage to young adult with the feelings involved.





	1. Sacrifice

**OC Aria (teenage years):**

** **

**OC Aria's dad:**

** **

* * *

 

She stands before an intimidating sight. The building of her new pre-school towers before her as she turns to look at her dad for reassurance. She’s 5 and about to start her first day of her new elementary school. Her dad places a calloused hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. “Alright there kiddo?”

“No. What if they don’t like me?” She pouts, wide eyes staring up at him.

“That’s impossible. You’re very lovable, Aria. Now go out that and kick some butts!” He cheered as she pushes the door of the car open, hopping out.

“That’s funny dad. Why would I be kicking butts?” She giggled as he leans over to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Love you kiddo.”

“Love you too daddy!”

* * *

 

She heads out to the playground, her yellow sundress fluttering in the breeze as she took a look around. The slide looks fun but its filled with other children. She turns and spots a sandpit, two boys were standing around a smaller boy looking as if they were taunting him. She heads over, stopping in hearing range.

“—you going to do Tommy?”

“Gonna run to your mommy?”

Her small fists clench beside her. With no teacher in sight, she charges forward with a little war-cry.

“RAAAH!” She smashed straight into the bigger boy who in turn, was pushed into his other friend as all three children fell into a pile.

“Bullying. Is. Bad!” She screeches as she hits the boys below her, not actually aiming anywhere specific. Her little fists grasp the mop of hair atop each boy’s heads as she tugs harshly, forcing them to look at her.

“OUCH! OWWW!” They scream, struggling to get away from the little girl with the astonishingly strong grip. Managing to get free, they scramble backwards and ran off.

She turns, eyes ablaze as she looks down on the scratched up boy.

Tommy had his arms around his head in protection as he endured the taunting that usually came almost daily. He was small for his age and the older boys seem to like picking on him for that. However, today went a little differently. He heard a high pitched enraged roar and the loud thump of three bodies landing in the sandpit as he dared to take a peek. He sees a little girl in a yellow dress beating up his tormentors as his eyes widens in awe. Soon, the bullies went running and he was left alone with the hellion.

She huffs as she sinks downwards to sit in front of the boy. “M’Aria. We’re going to be friends.” Her tone sounds as if she was ordering him instead of asking for his friendship.

“…I’m T-tommy. Y-You really want to be my friend?”

“ ‘Course. I won’t ask if I didn’t want to!” She giggles.

Soon they were both laughing and playing in the pit.

This was the day the chain of an unbreakable bond was forged between the two.

* * *

 

Time passes quickly when one is a child. Soon the girl and boy turned 13. Their friendship developed to the point where if one was found, usually the other would be nearby. They joked about being conjoined sometimes. Due to their friendship, their fathers naturally got along with each other as well. Often camping trips were made out into the wilderness together where the older males will drink and reminisce together about the old times while their kids would fish together. This was one of those times where the teens could forget about society, peer pressure, homework.  

“Hey A!” He turns, looking over his shoulder at Aria with an open mouthed smile. From her squatting position on the ground behind him, she smiles back as she waves a handful of pebbles at him. “Hey Bambi. Look what I’ve got?”

Tommy quirks an eyebrow at her as he chuckled in amusement, turning to cast his rod again as he calls out “Let me guess…more ammo for that concussion machine. And for the hundredth time…I’m not Bambi.” He hears the crunching of rocks and pebbles under boots as Aria steps up next to him, waving her slingshot in his face. “Excuuuuse me, this is a masterpiece! Hey!” She exclaims as he reaches over to ruffle her hair. She now stands a head shorter than he.

“Remember when you used to tease me for being so small?” Tommy scoffs, shaking his head at the fond memory. “Yeah that’s like karma. Your insane puberty spurt. At least you turned clumsy like…Bambi” She huffs and giggles, watching with interest as he pulls out yet another fish to bring back. “You’re a fish whisperer, Bambi!” She praises as she bends to look at its huge size. “It’ll be dark soon. Let’s head back.” Tommy started as he packs up his stuff, hoisting his rod over his shoulder. “Yeah yeah. Coming.”

They bantered cheerily as they trekked back towards the log cabin, “—and when you punched Ben in the face because he took your pen…huh?” Tommy’s reminiscing was cut short by the hand on his arm. He looks at Aria who pointed sideways with her chin.

The figure of a person stands out against the sunlight. “Hello? Are you okay?” Tommy starts as he approaches the figure. “Can I help you?”  Aria’s eyes squints from the sunlight as she warily trailed Tommy.  The figure turns revealing a ranger with arrows in her chest, growling wetly. “Oh my god! Are you oka-” Tommy was cut off as Aria pulled him by his shirt away from the growling person. “Sweet strawberry shortcakes on a hamster wheel!” She exclaims, letting go of his sleeve to load up her slingshot and fired the rock she had fished out from her pocket at the ranger. The rock slams right into the middle of her forehead as she fell over with a spurt of blood.

“Oh my god! Aria! You killed her!” Tommy screamed turning to look wide eyed at her.

“It’s a fudging zombie Tommy! It had like six arrows off her chest you’d think she’s still human! Have you not seen any horror movies!?” Aria screeched back, her hands shaking, “Shoot, fudge cakes, I shot someone.” She panics, grabbing Tommy’s shirt again. They heard movement as they turned, two more zombies limping up towards them. “Right yeah. Zombies.” Tommy nods, wide eyes as they started running. The mob growing bigger as they chased the young teens across the forest.

Naturally, Tommy being his clumsy self whose growth spurt exceeded his mind’s limit of mobility had to trip over a tree root, falling head over feet like a new born deer. Aria, being directly behind him, trips over his falling body as the two teens rolled down the side of the hill, much like Jack and Jill in that nursery rhyme.

“Urgh…my head….is ringing…” Aria had her face pressing against Tommy’s chest, legs sprawled as she pushes herself up, massaging her temple. “Dad?” Tommy shouts, looking around as the rustling of footsteps started up. Zombies appearing from around them. “Daddy!” She adds her desperate screaming to his voice as they back up against each other. A shot rang out through the forest followed by another as the teens turns in that direction.

“Dad!”  
“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Tommy! Aria!”

“Dad they tried to kill us!”

“Thank god you’re both alright, hurry grab that weapon and come on!” Tommy’s dad shouts out as he lets loose another shot at the mob behind them.

“Baby! Baby come here!” Aria’s dad beckons, as Aria passes him, he reaches out to Tommy, pulling him towards them. “Hurry up son, shit’s going down.” He grunts as Tommy’s dad fires another shot.

The four of them ran like the hounds of hell were snapping at their heels. Panting as they were within sight of their cabin, isolated as it is with only a dirt road up towards it.

“Right, Tom and I will get supplies. You kids stay in the truck!” Charles, Aria’s dad commanded as the teens nod, heading to the truck right away, scrambling into the back seat.

Tommy and Aria slouches against the seat back, panting. Tommy repositioning the rifle so it sits between his legs. They look at each other with open mouths before bursting out in hysterical laughter, leaning against each other.

“Hahahahah fudging/fracking zombies…hahahahaha.”

The laughter spanning longer than they thought it would, ending with them clenching their sides to try and stop the stitches.

Soon the adults were climbing in the front seats, Charles turning to give the teens a weird look. “Right. Don’t want to know what’s been going on back there.”

Tom merely smacked Charles in the arm, chuckling. “Well, got to give it to them kids, bouncing right back after that shit storm.”

* * *

**5 months into 1 A.Z.**

The only light illuminating the three figures. One tied up on the ground. Another huddled against the fender of the truck, her hands tightly holding onto the tied up, elder male. “T—Dad…no…” She sobs, tears dripping constantly from her face. Next to her, a younger male in a dirty grey shirt clenches the knife in his hands like it’s a lifeline, facing Tom.

Tom had been bitten and to ensure the safety of his son and Aria, had insisted to be tied up before he turns and devours them. Everyone fears death or rather…they fear what would become of them when they turned Z. “You’re good k-kids…” He stutters, tears making it hard for him to speak clearly. His throat was choked up by the overwhelming feeling of sadness and grief that soon he would have to leave his young son and the girl that’s akin to his daughter to fend for themselves. They poor children who had already lost what seems to be the other half of the parent duo earlier on would yet again face the same loss soon. “C-Charles and I are p-proud of who you’re growing up to be.”

The teens could hear his breathing growing weaker. And finally it stopped. A gurgle started as the thing Tom had turned into came back to life, snapping and growling as it fought against the ropes tying it down.

Aria let loose a choked sob, crawling over to Tommy as he sat, staring into the eyes of the Z. A minute later it seems that he found all the answer he needed as his shaking hands lowers the knife, pointing straight at his father—the Z’s forehead. Aria adds her similarly shaking hands to his as they plunged the knife into its skull as its gurgle grew silent, its eyes closing in death.

Tommy and Aria collapsed backwards, holding onto each other as, Aria first started crying hysterically. Her body trembling from sorrow as Tommy, with his arms around her finally gave in to his grief as he sobbed his heart out against her hair.

They sat there for what seems to be hours before Tommy, wiping off his tears with the back of his hand, stood suddenly. “W-We can’t leave him here.” He started as Aria shakily looks from the body to her best friend. “Yeah…”

They spend the rest of the night digging a grave for Tom, standing side by side till the rising sun casts a shadow upon them.

* * *

 

“Damn kid. You had to put down your own dad?” Doc stares at the teen across him, his gaze sad with a tinge of pity.

“Didn’t kill him. Killed it.” He stares back, eyes hard and cold.

“But if it’s not alive, how did you kill it?” Cassandra pipes out.

“Piked it.” He points at his forehead with the butt-end of his slingshot.

“Right here. My first kill. I always wish they knew, you know, somehow knew that I kept my promises….”

Doc looks down sadly before the words truly registered as he peers curiously at 10K.

“They?”

10K sighs as he turns to look into the distance. He took a deep breath before continuing.

* * *

 

**2 A.Z. December**

The teens were raiding an abandoned compound, hording whatever canned food they could find. “Hey Bambi look.” Aria pulls a palm sized voice recorder out from under some debris, Tommy quirking an eyebrow at her with a smirk, hand pausing in the air, about to grab a can of tomatoes. She smiles back “Let’s see what’s on here.”

**(I’m an angel with a shotgun-the cab)**

The voice recorder crackles as it plays the song, her eyes brightening up as she squealed “It’s our theme song, Bambi! How lucky!” She spun in a circle in celebration as Tommy chuckled, stuffing the can into his backpack.

“Right enough fooling around, the food’s and ammos won’t bag themselves.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, “Spoilsport.” Clicking the pause button on the voice recorder and picking up an unlocked padlock.

“That’s not very useful.” Tommy comments, eyeing the padlock in her palm.

“Says you.” She says, pocketing it.

“…psh…horder.”

She elbows him in the rib, though gently. “Bambi.”

* * *

 

An hour later, the teens were yet again on the run.

“Now we know why this place’s abandoned!” She screams as she fires a shot off with her slingshot, punching a hole through one Z in the mob of Zs chasing them. Tommy shooting at them whenever he can.

“There’s like ten fudging thousand zombies in here or something! Are they reproducing!?” She screams at him as the horde chasing them seemingly grew in numbers as they run down the street.

“No! But I think I know where the inhabitants of this huge compound went to!” He shouts back, lining up his shots and firing.

Most of the Zs were turned not long ago and were far from the slow ones most Zs around here became. Their leg muscles burning as they ran, turning a corner and down the street towards the slightly open gate which leads out of the fenced off compound that they had squeezed through to enter.

She spies the horde close behind them through the mirror of an abandoned car whose bumper had caved in horribly, the engine crushed beneath a chunk of building. They won’t make it in time. With no vehicle awaiting them, they will never outrun this horde, especially if they manage to bypass the gate.

Tommy was the first to slide between the two gates, stumbling over onto the other side, he heard the clinking of metal against metal as he turns just in time to see Aria chaining the gates shut behind him, padlocking it in place. She quirks an eyebrow up at him as he reaches for her through the bar.

“What are you doing!?” He screams, desperation in his eyes.

“You mean too much to me for us both to die together.” She pushes her prized slingshot in his hand as she turns, arming herself with her rifle and withdrawing the voice recorder from her baggy, hoodie pouch. She presses the play button and cranking up the volume.

“I love you Tommy! Take care of my baby for me!” She shouts her eyes glistening with unshed tears before turning to run down a perpendicular street from the horde.

“Aria!” He screams, voice cracking as he pushes against the gate with all his being, to no avail. He was left to watch the horde turn down the street Aria ran in, ignoring him totally as they fell under the sway of the loud music.

He sinks to his knees in the dirt, one hand clutching at the slingshot and the other at his head, tears falling from his eyes to water the parched dirt beneath him. “No…please…No…” He sobs, knuckles white from the tight grip he had on the slingshot handle. He could hear the echoing sound of shots firing constantly.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

 

**Present day**

“Sh…She gave this to me, y’know? Was the best at it.” He shook the slingshot.

Doc’s mouth was slightly open. He soon snapped it shut. “Well kid…” He wasn’t sure what to say exactly though it seems like 10K didn’t need anyone to tell him anything as he had turned his face away from the group.

Addy was walking up along the side of the truck, she turns her head back to look at Mack as he nods. They both heard 10K, and man his life’s shitty. That poor kid. She reached over to pat him on the arm as 10K just sat there, motionless.


	2. Swarm

A high-pitched female scream echoed from the middle of a large horde consisting of over a hundred Zs. If one could peer into the middle of the horde, they would find themselves faced with a strange sight of a pile of Zs, limbs stretched over each other, forming some sort of grotesque dome of human flesh. The scream appears to originate from within that dome.

Aria’s eyes jerked open as she sat up, her hands clenching and scraping the sandy ground pulling out the handful of dried grass as she brought them up to her face. Blue veins stark against pale skin, the veins travelling up her neck to her face.

**_Frightened. Cold. Protect. Protect. Protect._ **

She could feel the collective thoughts of those around her. She wasn’t sure how to describe it but it felt more like feelings than words.

**_Leave.Me._ **

Her brows furrowed as she broadcast her thoughts to those nearby as the dome of Zs start to untangle and the individuals stumbles away from the girl as she brought her hands up to her head. Another nightmare. Her fingers press against her nose bridge in an attempt to get rid of the bloody scenes her mind had conjured up in her sleep. The line between what was real and what was imagined blurred.

She could still feel her veins and heart burn from what had been done to her. The rest of her body feeling almost unbearably cold. Images of a blurry woman in a lab coat injecting her, flashing through her mind. A cold metal table on her back. An oxygen mask pressing down on her nose and mouth, muffling her screams. Of hands grabbing her and the straps tying her down to the hard, cold table. She remembers in flashes. Between the agony of liquid fire spreading from the pinpricks in her arm to the rest of her body. She remembers the sound of a struggle as another was strapped to the table beside hers. How long had she been there? How long was she used as a lab rat? How long since she thought she had sacrifice herself for him.  _Him._  For  _T-_

Her hands clenches at her head, her nails digging into flesh as she moans. The Zs around her shuffles around in increasingly frantic movements as if sensing her distress. Those in the immediate vicinity more so than the those on the outer radius.

Her hands dropping down limply beside her, small droplets of blood dripped sluggishly from the self-inflicted wounds. She stands, eyes blazing with hatred as she turns her head to glance at the horde around her. Those that surrounds her bore her mark, the first of their brethren who had been bitten when they broke her out. It started from one soldier she had managed to sink her teeth in while struggling. They retain the ability for simple processing unlike the others she found. They move faster, the mobility better, stronger, longer-lasting, more vicious. She calls them her ferals. Those they turned too had better perks than the other Zs which made up the outer perimeter, the primitives. The only thing they were focused on was  _hunger_ and the  _will_ of the horde. This was her horde.  _Hers_.

The wind whipped around her as she looks up, the eye of the horde follows her.  ** _Move._**  She projected her will to the collective as they turn their heads as one, the outer perimeter starts stumbling and tripping as they switched course. The loose sleeves of her dirtied, white straight jacket flutters about as she made her way down the middle. The horde parting as she walked, the landscape around her changing from the bare grounds to a forest. A different direction then the others. Her ‘guards’ turning as well, as if trying to follow.

**_Stop._ **

They stop mid-step, some even managing to growl in a questioning tone.

**_Follow. Obey. Why._ **

**_Find her. The horde has one purpose. I need more. Give me more._ **

They growled their consent as they turn, vanishing among the walking corpses. The horde now was small but she was certain their numbers would grow. Her heart burns, each time she awakens to the horde, the more connected to the collective minds, the more her hatred burned. Burned for that  _bitch_  that changed her being. Burned with loss, regret, pain. For the humans who started this. This unending torment of never being. Of always feeling icy cold and burning hot at the same time. For turning her from human to something unlike any other. For the tortures disguised as tests.  _A monster. Abnormality. Abomination._   _They took my pa and dad away from me. They took everything._

Her stomach growls hungrily. It had been days since she last had anything in it. Unable to stomach eating humans, she had resorted to raiding whatever she could find through the few small towns her horde passed through. Most were abandoned. Small outposts here and there were overwhelmed and turned by the front half of her horde. Her small but fast growing horde.

She turns with narrowed eyes looking over her shoulder at the wall of moving bodies, she could feel the straggling. The weak primitives that are nearing the end of their usefulness. Where their hunger overtakes their ability to turn. Where they would consume too much resulting in a body that turns but unable to move. Unable to join the  _swarm_. That word. She liked it. For that is what they are. Like ants or bees or swarming insects obeying their  _queen._

**_Come. Feed._ **

She commanded to the weak links, they groaned and moaned as they stumbled through the undergrowth, following her as they trudged through the thick undergrowth. They could hear the sound of a vehicle moving. A road must be nearby. They emerge at the forest edge, a black truck rumbling in the distance heading towards their direction. The forest was elevated on a hill which made hiding easier for them.

**_Food. Consume. Destroy._ **

She felt their need as she projected the feeling of nonchalance to her minions. She ran down the cliff, predator-like as she kneels in the middle of the road, head down, clenching her stomach.

**_Stay. Wait. Food will come._ **

She heard the truck skid to a stop, the sound of a door opening.

“Hey. Hey! Are you alright?” A male voice rang out. She could smell gun oil and metal and blood. Human blood.

**_The time has come. Eat. Eat._ **

She felt the resounding hunger feedback as she looks up at the male. Now she can see a woman and two children through the windscreen. The grown man standing before her had a machine gun at his side.

“Yes…I am….” Her voice was dry and cracking with the lack of usage and thirst. She stumbles to her feet. He could see that she had no weapons and had let his guard down. A move he will soon regret.

The shriek of a horde is heard a moment before they were upon them. “Oh my god!” The man shouts as he opens fire on the Zs, he could hear his wife and children leaving the car to help him. The horde was twenty strong and soon overwhelmed them. The last thing he saw was the girl, her face with black veins up from her neck to the bottom half of her gaunt cheeks. Eyes looking down coldly as she turns. “But…you are not.” Were the last words he heard before the pain and shock of having his innards devoured sent him into blissful darkness.

She heads back up the hill into the safety of the forest. Her stomach growls again in hunger, her throat parched from thirst hurts her. Half of the smaller offshoot of the swarm broke away to feast, the less desperate stayed behind as she turns, continuing on under the cover of the forest.

* * *

 

**With Delta-Xray-Delta**

A damn ambush. They had ran straight into a damn ambush. Warren has her gun up against the leader of the ambush group regardless of the guns pointing at them. The chained zombies growling and snarling at the humans but unable to reach them. A shot rang out, a Z fell with a splorch.

“God, I love that kid!” Doc exclaims as the ambush group looks around nervously.

“Now we just want the vehicle. Alright? So just give us the truck and we’ll let you live… to die another day.” The leader exclaims cockily. He knew he had that in the bag, after all his group outnumbered theirs.

“Give them the truck!” Murphy exclaims desperately, he didn’t want to die now and not like this after all the shit he had been through.

“Don’t give them a goddamn thing!” Warren exclaims, stubborn as always. She was sure they could take them. They had lived through worse after all.

“Do the math Garnett. We have other priorities. Give them the damn truck!” Murphy reasoned.

Garnett was troubled. As the leader, responsibility for the group lays solely on his shoulders. For once Murphy sounded right. They cannot afford to lose what’s left of their little group. After camp Blue Sky, Hammond and the debacle with the cannibals. Either they had the best luck in the world or the worst.

From his position up in the trees, 10K held his rifle tightly. Mentally counting how many he could take down, just in case Garnett decide to take them on. His hands shook lightly, a droplet of sweat slid down the side of his face. This would be different from shooting Zs but he had lost enough good people.  _Pa, Charles, Aria…._ His heart throbbed painfully at the memories. He will not let any Zs or people take this group too. He sat tight as the leader and Garnett exchanged words. Garnett giving the order to let them have the truck. He inwardly sighed in relief but a part of him dreaded fitting that many people into the banged up car the raiders so generously left for them to take. Sarcasm tinging his thoughts.

He was pretty sure everyone is trying not to breathe too deeply. Eight people cramped in such a small space tend to…pollute the air. Garnett sighed, but he tends to not dwell on past misfortunes anymore. Now to get their group to California as soon as possible.

A few miles in their shitty journey on the shitty car, they came upon the raiders again. Their guns drawn on a family. A male and female pair with two children.

Five minutes after a situation only a sadistic universe would allow to occur, Garnett sighed in resignation as the truck tires squealed, driving off with the family of four which had turned out to be raiders too. Well…their group has a high moral compass, can’t really blame them for hopping out to help but getting robbed, again, for their efforts.

Another few miles down, Doc and 10K came upon a peculiar sight. “Stop the car.” Doc cried out as the engine of their ride came to a choppy stop. “Oh, it’s the family.” He sighed. The previous family of four laid before them, dead and in the progress of being eaten.

10K aimed his rifle, firing off shots as Addy and Mack hopped off from the back of the car. Addy swung her Z-wacker threateningly as she brutally smashed the head of the nearest Z. Her group swiftly killing the rest, piking the downed family in the heads as a precaution.

As Doc, Warren and Garnett busied themselves with clearing out the obstacles before they could drive off once again, he looked into his scope, scoping out the surrounding forested area just in case there were more Zs. He spots a familiar figure in the far distance, he could see more of her back and a small bit of her face but her face made him double-take. He blinked, head tilted back away from the scope before he took another look. This time, she was gone. His face paling drastically.  _No.No.No.No.It’s just a hallucination._ That face. Though looking far thinner and gaunt than healthy, was so very familiar. So familiar that even the thought if it made his heart throb painfully. He lowers his rifle as his body reacted on auto-pilot as Doc called out “Hey kid, come on!” From within the truck.

* * *

 

**With Aria**

A significant amount of distance was between her and the feeding horde when she felt the thin connection she had to them break.  _Dead._  There must have been others on the road. Others with the capabilities of killing the primitives.  _Weapons._  Her lips split in a snarl as she turns slightly to head deeper into the forest. No use staying so close to the edge if it meant being spotted. The horde entering the shadows with her. She ran, covering more ground then a normal running human could, the shambling horde behind her taking much more time to catch up, having been turned long ago, their mobility had gone to shit.

She came upon a small town with a drive thru, she licked her parched lips as she headed in, in search of water and possibly food. Pushing into what seems to be once a convenience store, she sniffed, seeking out unopened cans or water. Miraculously she found a half filled bottle of water. Twisting open its cap she poured the liquid down her parched throat greedily before tossing the bottle to the side. Venturing in deeper, she found that the store was picked clean prior to her arrival. Her arms came to wrap around her stomach as it growled again.  _No food. Urgh._  Her hunger made worse by the insatiable hunger of the swarm.

The sound of a vehicle approaching made her hide behind some shelves as the same black truck rolled up next to the drive thru speaker on the other side of the street. From her position behind the shelf she could look out the dust-covered store window. She watched warily as the blurry figures crowded around the speaker. Three females, five males. Was all she could make up from the blobs. They were smart enough to have some of the group as sentries as they hung back, looking around for any possible threats.

She growled in frustration as she heads out from the back of the store, turning to the forest. Her head throbbing. One male seems familiar to her but the dust hid any identifiable features. She shook her head, no use dwelling on such thoughts. She needed food, not disturbing thoughts that dredges up the past and opens the wounds in her heart. In the back of her mind a soft voice rang out  _Tommy_ …but it was soon smothered and pushed back by pain, hatred and hunger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the swarm/hive mentality: Kerrigan (Queen of Blades), Starcraft.  
> I might be branching out to explore the different types of zombies and possibly (maybe) even have parts from their perspective in the future. For now, I'll be developing more on this character and hope it goes well....


	3. Torn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you'd probably guess it's pretty much draft-like. I probably have much to expand on and refine but I'll work on that one day...  
> If you'd like to listen, the song I'd imagine that would fit Aria right now is: Paralyzed by NF.

 

Mack and 10K were scanning the surroundings, Mack standing right next to the truck with 10K on it, an elevated position giving him a wider range of vision and he’s holding onto the dish that’s broadcasting their signal anyway. Both were looking across the street, Mack blinks, he swore he saw a slight movement through the murky window of the store across them. If it were a Z it would have come out long ago. He shrugged it off as a figment of his imagination as he turns to scan the rest of the surrounding, turning to eye the new kid, 10K.

Scenes from the past clutters 10K’s mind, the phantom feeling of a gentle hand around his…

_“Hey Bambi?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Do you think we’ll survive past this sugar storm?”_

_“We’ll survive anything. We’ve got this far on our own didn’t we.”_

_“Yeah. Suppose you’re right Bambi...Well I still shoot better than you!”_

Her voice echoes in his mind, a wave of grief spreading through his body.  _If only you could see me now._  His hands clenching against the metal.  _I thought I saw her. Am I going insane? I miss them so much._

“ _Hey Bambi! What cha day-dreaming about?”_

_Frack it._  He could still see her face vividly in his mind, turned towards him with her hand brushing strands of her long black hair away from her face as she teases him.

He was paler than normal, his brows furrowed with eyes darting. Attention paid to every little movement in the surroundings. He seems troubled by something but Mack wasn’t sure what was troubling him exactly. He cleared his throat, “Hey! You alright, kid?” his eyes squinting slightly from the sun’s glare.

10K snapped out of his depressing thoughts, head turning so fast to look at Mack it’s a wonder he didn’t get whiplash. “H-huh?...Yeah, I’m fine.”

“…Right…” Mack shrugs, if he didn’t want to tell him what’s troubling him. Well, Mack isn’t one to pry and perhaps with time the kid will open up more. He didn’t talk much since joining. Hell the most he heard the kid speak was when he told the group of when he mercied his own dad. And that, Mack reasoned, was mostly due to the bond he felt forming between Doc and 10K. The kid seems to trust him more anyhow.

“Puppies and kittens!” They heard Warren’s warning as a small horde approaches. They seem to be moving very slowly though. Which was good news for them anyhow.

“We gotta go!” The group clambers back onto the truck in a hurry as Citizen Z gave his well wishes to Addy. Soon they were driving off towards McLean, Virginia.

* * *

 

As Aria runs through the forest, her footsteps came to a pause as she hears the truck rumble as it passes. From within the shadows her eyes narrowing, looking straight ahead she intends to ignore the truck but subconsciously, she turns towards it instead.  _Tommy. No. Pain. Hunger. Bambi. He’ll fix this. No. No he won’t. No one will help me. There is nothing to help._ She grasps her head between her hands, it feels as if there’s more of her than her mind can contain. It felt like what she once was still wars with what she has become with the swarm’s collective intense hunger and need as a spectator, a chant.

A step forward and another. She stumbles slightly, swaying like a drunkard. Her head still in her hands as she fought with herself. She drops to her knees, a scream ripped from her throat. She tasted blood as the inside of her throat felt as if it tore itself apart. A flock of birds flew, startled by the sudden noise. She felt the swarm react to her distress.  ** _No. Leave me._**  She commands, she would cry if her tears had not dried up long ago. The blood flowing from the sides of her forehead dripping down the side of her face in a morbid replacement for her tears.

She stumbles to her feet.  _Fine. If this is what you want. We will go where that truck is, if it is what it takes to shut you up._  Using a tree as a brace to lean herself against, her hands falling limp as she started on her new journey. Her body trembles occasionally from the pains of hunger. From the burn in her veins and the coldness she felt in the rest of her body. A little part of her felt as if it was huddled in the back of her mind, arms around her knees as she hopes desperately to find the heart of her strength, the reason she endured. The reason she sacrificed.

* * *

 

They arrive at the centre where Citizen Z mentioned a visual of an helicopter. Trading in oxycontin to the drugged up soldier who apparently ate the entire handful he was given. Eventually the general allowed Doc to enter. Mack turns to look at Addy, eyebrow quirking in suspicion. Addy, as if reading his mind just gave him a shrug. “Doc’ll be fine.” She pats him on the shoulder.

The group loitering around on the bottom of the building hears Doc screaming as he was pushed into the airshaft by the irate general. Apparently the diagnosis of an infected leg didn’t go so well for Doc. Garnett had it, pushing the guard up against a pillar as he pulled a gun on him. “We go up now or I scramble your egg-brain inside the shell.” He growls out.

“You’ll be sorry.” The guard warns, still looking high.

“So will you cause you’re coming up with us. Don’t let man or zombie follow us up.” Garnett orders 10K.

“Yes sir.” He agrees, eye peering into his rifle as Garnett dragged the soldier he had at gunpoint into the elevator. Two Zs lining up perfectly as he fired a single bullet. “1093…no. 1094.” He counts with a smirk as the second zombie fell, a large hole through its face.

Meanwhile, Doc, trapped in the airshaft with the previous medic who had turned Z long ago felt as if his life was flashing in his mind. Frantically mumbling and rambling as he struggles against the bindings. A joint falling out from his beard. He pulls it out, sniffing it in bliss. “Oh that’s more like it. I was saving this for a special occasion.” He informs the Z as it growls at him. “Like now.” He struggles to light it up, screaming all the while in desperation for someone, anyone to come save him from his hell. “Come on, suck it up. Come on. Come on!” He begs while blowing the smoke at the Z. “That’s good shit, man. Chill!” he placated as the Z growls, finally losing it he screams, voice cracking “Help!”

Meanwhile, in the elevator with Addy, Mack, Cassandra, Warren, Garrett and the drugged up soldier, Murphy starts freaking out. Sweat beading on his face and neck, “Did I mention that the one thing I have a phobia of aside from zombies is e-elavators?” he stammers.

“Shouldn’t have messed with the general.” The soldier taunts as Murphy continues his freak out. Finally banging on the elevator door, trying to get out from that confining space. “Hey, come on. Open the damn door. I got to get out of here.”

“Relax Murphy.” Warren warns, unamused.

“No,no. I got to get out. There’s not enough oxygen.” His lungs burning. He feels the walls coming in on all sides as his breathing becomes increasingly frantic. Finally Warren had enough of it as she slaps Murphy, hands gripping his jacket. “Chill out!” She growls, eyes staring straight into his burning with anger.

The elevator came to a halt, the lights flickering off. “Mack!” Addy shouts, “I’m here, babe.” He reassures from the other side of the elevator. It’s also freaking him out. It would be a poor way to go if the elevator ends up being their collective tomb.

“Hey why aren’t we moving?” Garnett growled to the soldier as he sighed “It’ll start in a second.” Garnett doubts his words though, he had not proven himself to be a very trustworthy fellow.

At the bottom of the building, 10K lays on the top of a truck with his trusty rifle. Puffing a lung full of smoke as he places the cigarette into a makeshift holster. He breathes slowly, as he aims at the next zombie. _How did I get so good at smoking_. He missed the shot. For the first time in a very long time, his eyes widening in surprise at it as he pulls out the cigarette, taking another puff. A memory hitting him fast.

_It was after his father was bit. He sat beside Aria, his father tied and laying on the ground before them as he took a puff of the cigarette, choking from the smoke like all who are new to smoking often do. He offers the cig to his dad as he too, took a puff. “Thank you, son. I-It’s g-good.” He whispers, choking occasionally. “Can I do anything for you?” He whispers back, eyes darting momentarily to Aria who was huddle with her knees against her chest in silence. In denial._

_“Make sure those knots are tight.” Tom stammers, tears accumulating as he tries to force the sob back.”It’s not gonna be long now.”_

_“It’s double-half-hitch. Just like you taught me.” Tommy confirms as he flinch slightly when Aria let out a loud sob. “Sorry. Sorry. It’s just…” She wipes her eyes as she fell back into silence._

_“J-Just be sure.” Tom confirms, he don’t want to hurt his son and Aria. The knots have to be tight and secure. It have to be. “Promise me you’ll do what we talked about when the time comes.” He struggles out as Tommy checks the knots._

_Tommy nods, his eyes darting sideways looking very unsure. He don’t think he could do it. To kill his own dad. He nods like all the other times he had lectures from his dad or Charles. Half-heartedly._

_“Promise me!” Tom demands, he knew he had to be put down. He doesn’t want to be let lose upon the world as a Z. Mindless and violent. Destructive._

_“I promise.” Tommy choked out sadly. “Just like we talked about. I swear.”_

_“Don’t swear. Your mother never liked that.”_

_“We never do.” Aria and Tommy piped out, a half-hearted laugh coming from all three of them._

_“I promise.” Tommy continues._

_“Good. You’re both good kids. Could always trust you both to do the right thing.” Tom whispers as tears dripped from his face, sobbing. “Give me another puff will ya?”_

10K snaps out of the memory just to enter into another as he took the next puff.

_“Quit it.” Aria snapped as she swats at Tommy’s arm, laughing._

_“What?” Tommy grins as he blew smoke at her face causing her to squeal and run around him, jumping up on his back as he grunts with the force, his free hand instinctively held onto her thigh as support. “You’re heavy get off!” He teases._

_A mock offended gasp as she blew into his ear before sliding off, knowing that he hates that. “Me? Heavy? Weeell excuuuse you. It’s not me that ate two cans on my own yesterday! Now gimme that.” She growls as she swiped the cig from him, taking a puff with twinkling eyes. That was a day before she left him forever._

He pulls out of that memory, eyes unfocused with grief as he exhales. Placing the cig back in its holster he took aim again and fires. This time the bullet tearing a hole through the head of the Z. He smiles halfheartedly at the kill as he looks sideways, he hears a soft scream. Head jerking up in alert in that direction. A flock of birds taking flight from the forest.  _What was that?_  It might not even have been a scream. Could have just been the birds. He was not sure but his body was tense and alert. Garnett entrusted him to not let anything pass while they retrieve Doc and so he will not let anything endanger them from this direction.

* * *

 

She could see the truck now. Peering out from behind a large tree she spies several zombies. Dead. Zombies. She has to get closer. The zombies here were not under her control, she needs a shorter range to get them under it. The nearer she got the more of their existence she felt.

Her eyes slipping shut as tension became palpable on her face. She reaches out to the unfamiliars, most were of the canon fodder types. Their minds simple. Taking control of those was like taking candy...from an abandoned store.  ** _Listen. Obey. The swarm needs you. I need you._**  She felt their interest, her lips stretches into a feral smile as, one by one, they fell under her control. There were two, different from the rest. They felt more intelligent, as much as more intelligent can get for a Z. Not quite the level of her ferals but close. One has more strength than the other. Brute strength. It would be useful in her swarm. She reach out to the two, finding it and focuses her control there. Once she exerted her will upon them, she smiles triumphantly as they connected with the swarm, their wills absorbed by the collective.

_Tommy…._ That voice again. Fine, she will show herself that the boy is not with the group. She pulsed out, controlling first the eyes of one of the two  _unique_ ones. The weaker of the two. Her eyelids flutters open, her pupils and iris glazed as she sees through its eyes. Just as it swallows an unfamiliar object.  _not food_. She blinks in confusion as it imitates her action. She comes face to face with an old man. Whatever it ate, it seems to have muted its hunger. It’s growls lessens as the unfamiliar presence in its mind puts a pressure on it. It blinks, shaking its head.  _Not Tommy._  She pulls out of it, jumping to the next. It matters not to her if the old man wishes to talk to a Z, despite it having more intelligence than the others.

The second was a  _primitive_. It seems to have entered an elevator with three other humans. Disoriented from the mind intrusion, it was unable to attack very well and it was going to die but Aria cares not for it. Just to identify the male. Finally it swung close enough, being pushed around like a ball.  _Not Tommy._  She pulls out of the zombie, leaving it disoriented again to be piked in the head.

As she jumps into her next host, she felt one of the newly controlled unique die.  _What a waste. Guess that old man isn’t so helpless after all._  Jumping from primitive to primitive, the feeling of each dying, their connection to the swarm severing but she just can’t seem to jump into the right one to get close enough to see who it was that are killing them. She growls in frustration causing those hosting her mind to growl as well.

She gave up, jumping into the strong one, it took a second more to gain his sight as he stomps up to the humans. She scans them as he approach, she sees the fear in their eyes but none of them were  _Tommy_. However there is just one other human missing from the count if she remembers correctly there is another male unaccounted for.  ** _Kill. Feed. Do not die or I will be displeased._**  Her non-verbal command imprinting into him as she withdrew herself.

She snaps back into her mind, stumbling slightly from the mental whiplash as she blinks to orientate herself. She steps out of the forest, one arm coming to wrap around her waist as it growls yet again in hunger. The pain stepping onto the side of unbearable. Stumbling she manages to get down the hill unseen, the loose fabric of her jacket flapping in the wind. She could see a boy as he walks across the road to the black truck.  _Tommy._  His features were blurry but clear enough to her even as her vision wavers, black spots spreading around.She felt the  _unique_  die, a tinge of disappointment flashes through her but she must have expanded energy that she couldn’t spare to personally control so many Zs at once. Her other arm reaches out towards the boy as she stumbles. If he was a hallucination before her death, so  be it. At least she saw him for the last time.

* * *

 

“I’m out of ammo.”

“Me too!”  


Mack sighed, “I got this.” He readies his pistol and fires thrice into its head but it didn’t die, grabbing hold onto Mack’s throat and lifting him off the ground to the dismay of everyone.

Garnett charges, his hammer making contact with its skull multiple times, trying to cave it in and damage the brain but his efforts were for naught.

“Garnett!” Addy shouts as she too, charges the huge zombie, hitting it with her Z-wacker. Pushing it back into an air shaft as Garnett looks down on his fist. He sees a familiar ring. A grenade ring. Eyes widening he screams “take cover!” as the zombie falls down into the air shaft as everyone ducked.

The shockwave pushing them onto the ground. “Is everyone alright!?” Garnett hollers as he pushes himself upright. Looking around as he mentally evaluated the wellbeing of his group. Thankfully, they are fine.

Addy groans as she pushes herself up, coughing from the dust as she covers her mouth,  _Mack, where’s Mack_? She turns to look at the last position she saw Mack in, seeing him getting up as well and unharmed she sighed in relief.

“Murphy, where’s Doc?”

“He was down that air shaft.” Murphy’s head nods in its direction, eyes sad as everyone came to the realisation that Doc is most likely dead.

“What?” Garnett’s voice was tinged with disbelief. Of all places Doc could be. It had to be the airshaft that the damn Z with the damn grenade fell in.

Addy gasp, grief clouding her eyes. She was the one to push the zombie in there. She knew Doc for what seems to be ages now and just like that, he’s taken from them.

The others took a moment to mourn the old man. Even Cassandra who had just met him not long ago. But he did save her life, risking his in the process. She could never thank him enough and now...he’s dead.

“Let’s go find that helicopter and get out of here. Now.”

Was it to anyone’s surprise that the universe who had fucked them over so many times before decides to do so again. The helicopter was a bust. It was a wreck. They left the General to his undead men to face his demise as they backed into the elevator. Garnett wiping a palm down his face as he sighed.

“Is it me. Or the universe hates us.” He growls, slamming a fist into the side of the elevator.

“It’s not just you. It’s all of us.” Warren deadpans as the group broke into a hysterical, ‘I can’t believe this shit’ laugh.

They stepped out, heading towards the truck with 10K in the back. “What happened to Doc?” he questions, looking around as if the old man would pop out from behind them with a ‘surprise!’. His face fell when Warren, leaning against the side of the truck as she looks in his eyes. “He didn’t make it.”

_Not again._   _Why!?_  He screams mentally, looking down. If he could cry….but he can’t and that disturbs him more than anything. He pulls his rifle against him as he turns away. “Zombies.” Addy warns, “Oh whoa, whoa.” Mack exclaims.

10K leans against his rifle, head bowed against the side of his hands. He refuse to look as another of his important people get mercied. “Steven. Doc. Beck. I...give you mercy.” He hears as he braces himself, a gun shot. His heart thumping loudly in his chest.

“What the hell, Warren!? You trying to kill me!?” Doc saw the pistol as it raises towards him, is she actually going to...and then he jumped sideways just in time as she pulls the trigger, looking up at her in disbelief and horror.

Everyone jerks in surprise and elation, eyes widening as relief overcame the group. “You’re alive!?”

“Damn straight I’m alive.” He shouts, as if he could die so easily. As the group rejoiced.

“We thought you were dead!”

“Well so did I. Some numbskull threw a grenade in the air shaft I was stuck in.” He gestures animatedly.

Warren smiling widely as she pulls a rag out, throwing it at Doc. “Here!” chuckling when Doc replies with “Give me a kiss, baby!”

Even 10K was smiling widely, Doc was alive! His group is still intact.

As they were climbing into the truck, Doc’s eyes narrows. “Hey guys!” He calls out, getting the attention of the group as he points into the distance, behind 10K. “There’s someone there!”

They turn, trying to look for what Doc was gesturing at. A girl, stumbling with an arm outstretched as she fell forward. Addy, the first to react, she broke into a run towards her, “Addy! Wait!” Mack shouts as he ran after her. Addy coming to her knees as she place a finger under the girl’s nose. “She’s alive!” She shouts as Garnett, Warren, Mack and 10K slowly caught up with her. Cassandra opting to stay behind with Murphy and the truck.

Addy propping the girl up against her thighs as she gaze down worriedly at her face, her gaunt face with cheekbones in stark contrast from her sunken cheeks. Dark eye bags under her eyes, her hair matted with blood and dirt, her veins were a dark hue against her pale skin. Her lips cracked and dry as a gasp emerges from between them.

Her eyelids fluttering open slightly. “H-Help...m-me….” A cracked voice, dry and hoarse emerges as she gasps painfully between the words before falling unconscious yet again. She looks young. Maybe even younger than 10K. “Shit what happened to her?” Mack curses as he stares at the kid as Addy lifted her. “She weighs far less then she should and that’s worrying.” She mutters as she hears the group approaching, 10K bringing up the rear.

“We should get her to the t--” Garnett stumbles forward as 10K pushes him aside, “Hey!” his voice was lost to the teen as even Addy was not spared as he took the girl from her arms, kneeling down next to her.

“What the fuck 10K?” Mack exclaims as Addy was shoved away.

To 10K the world seems to narrow between him and the girl on his lap, his hand ghosting over her face, wiping the dust and dirt from her cheek as he stares down with a mixture of disbelief, happiness, sadness and regret in a confusing mix.

Doc and Warren looks at each other in the eye in confusion before meeting Addy’s and Mack’s. “10K..10K are you alright?” Addy grips his shoulder, shaking him lightly.  _what the fuck is going on?_   _Is he..Is he crying?_ She turns to look at Mack who stares opened mouth at 10K. The kid with few words, the one who never misses a shot. Crying.  _What. In. The. World._  Mack meets her eyes as he shrugs, closing his mouth as he place a comforting hand on 10K’s other shoulder.

10K wipes a thumb across a faded scar located diagonally on her right cheek on her cheek bone close to her eye. There were droplet of water dripping on her cheek, whenever he brushes it off, more would join them. “It...It’s….A-Aria...the sling---....the sling-shot...s-she..” His voice was choked up, his hand coming up to brush at his eyes as he finally came to the realisation that the droplets were tears. Tears from his eyes.

“She’s alive? She’s alive!” Addy exclaims in elation, happy for 10K even as her words causes him to sob harder, clinging the unconscious girl to his chest. Even Mack, Doc, Garrett and Warren were laughing, rejoicing in the miracle. “She’s alive…” 10K whispers to himself, he would close his eyes to hold his tears back but the fear of losing her the moment it shut kept them open and staring at her face.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, I'd love if you could leave a review!  
> This story is also published on tumblr (Melodyoffiction) so do check that out there if that is what you prefer!


End file.
